E3: 2026’s AI Reckoning & Nate’s 6,000-person Holiday Party
In our first, festive and extra-flat holiday special, Flatlander Studio founders Nate Voss and Megan Thome cover everything from seasonal traditions and serious 2026 industry forecasts. We dive into the logistics of massive 6,000-person corporate gala and why a reckoning for human creativity could be coming for your feed next year.
What We Cover:
• 6,000-Person Party: Nate recounts the scale of Garmin holiday events—complete with aerialists and military targeting systems—and why bigger isn't always better for company culture.
• Potluck Pitfall: Megan explains why asking employees to bring the food to their own party is a culture fail, and how small agencies win by keeping it "family style.”
• Human-made Please: Why the "human fingerprint" is still preferred in presentations.
• Product #2 & Self-Funding: A cryptic tease of Flatlander Studio’s next big thing and our commitment to staying self-funded.
• "Cloud Dancer" Controversy: Our immediate (and skeptical) reaction to Pantone’s 2026 color of the year.
The Best Bits
7:02 Holiday Rapid Fire and "Kringle" the Spider
11:48 Global Entrepreneurship Week KC (GEWKC) Recap
24:13 Flatlander Studio BusinessUpdate (Staying Self-Funded)
37:06 Holiday Party Breakdown: In-house vs. Agency Vibes
52:07 2026 Predictions
56:03 Pantone 2026 and "Cloud Dancer"
Mentions:
Jet-Puffed marshmallows
TruTone Christmas lights
Brach’s candy
Elf on the Shelf
Fisherman sweaters
Global Entrepreneurship Week KC (GEWKC)
Union Station Planetarium
Garmin
Boulevard Nutcracker Ale
Joslyn Castle
Pantone 2026 "Cloud Dancer"
Destiny
Shuffle dancing
The Brothers Karamazov
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